Fans gathered at the hospital in São Paulo after the death of the famous footballer, many of whom wore the number 10 shirt, which was Pele’s number, writes the British broadcaster BBC.
It was a moment that was inevitably approaching, but which everyone was dreading. The mouse had already been treated for a long time and suffered from colon cancer. After his passing, the hospital said that the hospital staff are in mourning with Pele’s family and all those grieving the loss of the king of football.
Pele was a shining star in the world of football, but he meant much more to the Brazilians. The newly elected president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said that he had the honor of watching Pele on the field, and that it was not just playing football, but a show. In a post on a microblogging site Twitter da Silva wrote:
“Only a few Brazilians have managed to carry the name of the country as far as he has.”
Older generations of Brazilians remembered Pele as a player, while younger Brazilians were told of the footballer’s phenomenal skills and craftsmanship. Pele’s status was so important to the country’s self-pride that in 1961 the president of Brazil, Janio Quadros, declared him a national treasure, which meant that the footballer could not be “sold” to foreign clubs.
The story of the king of football is also a story of incredible success in a country where racism and social class differences were and still are dominant – Pele was a black man who came from a poor background. The footballer himself was often criticized for not talking much about the problems of racism, but he always emphasized that football can unite all Brazilians, regardless of origin.
Pele did not get involved in politics, and for that too he used to come into the crossfire of criticism. Many felt that this was a sign of weakness, given the enormous influence of the footballer. At the same time, in a country regularly divided by politics, the silence allowed Pele to rise above political controversy and become a beloved figure among Brazilians.
